Gelidium divaricatum G. Martens 1866: 30, 1868

Lin, Showe-Mei, Liu, Li-Chia, Guiry, Michael D., Jr, Put Ang & Hsueh, Hsi-Ju, 2018, A reassessment of Gelidium divaricatum G. Martens (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta) from Hong Kong, including Gelidiophycus hongkongensis sp. nov., Phytotaxa 348 (1), pp. 49-55 : 52

Gelidium divaricatum G. Martens 1866: 30 , pl. VIII [8]: fig. 4 ( Fig. 2 )

Description:—Thalli prostrate, mat-forming, irregularly to pinnately branched, procumbent branches terete, 12–16 (–20) mm long, coarser at upper portion (250–350 μm in diameter) but slender at the basal parts (180–220 μm in diameter); apices of branches acute, growth leading by single apical cells, cortical cells, 3–4 celled layers, rounded to oval, 7–9 μm by 8–12 μm in diameter; reproduction unknown.

Lectotype:— Hong Kong, Martens’ illustration, pl. VIII: fig. 4 ( Martens 1866), collection date unknown; shown here as fig. 2D, the overall morphology of which strongly conforms with epitype material shown as our figs. 2 A, B.

Epitype:—HAST#142346, Hair Pin Beach, Stanley, Hong Kong Island, 29 February 2008, collected by S.-M. Lin ( Fig. 2A ).

Distribution:—Presently known only from Hong Kong Island.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Gelidium divaricatum G. Martens. Habit and vegetative structure (specimens from Hair Pin Beach, Stanley, Hong Kong Island). A, epitype, thallus morphology before losing color (HAST#142346); B, mat-forming thalli with intermingling branches; C, longitudinal section through a branch; D. designated lectotype based on Fig. 4, a hand drawing illustration in Martens (1866: pl. VIII); E, transverse section through a young branch; F, transverse section through a main axis.